November 3, 2009 Fringe Arts

Love, in the wrong time and place

Gay persecution under the Third Reich exposed in Bent

by Rachel Lau

Altera Vitae’s production of Bent explores the struggles of gay men in Nazi Germany. PHOTO RACHEL LAU

Yves Jacquier first visited the Auschwitz concentration camps 15 years ago, an experience that he says left a bad taste in his mouth.

“I left feeling horrible and disgusted,” said Jacquier.

This month, Jacquier hopes his theatrical rendition of a Nazi officer will leave audiences feeling the same way. He costars in Altera Vitae’s production of Bent, a play that tells the story of the Third Reich’s persecution of homosexuals.

Hitler revived a passage of German law dictating that homosexuality was not just a criminal offence but a serious felony. It is estimated that 50,000 men and women served prison sentences for homosexuality during the Third Reich, many of whom were eventually thrown into camps. These events occurred even before the genocide of Jews and continued after the liberation of the concentration camps.

Written by Martin Sherman in 1979, Bent garnered attention for its frank exposure of homosexual persecution. Altera Vitae presents the play as “a story of acceptance, tolerance and love, in the wrong time and the wrong place.”

The show stars six men, including Concordia graduates Vance de Waele and Mark Waters. De Waele says he originally studied pure and applied sciences at Champlain College because “we all go into what we think we’re supposed to go into.” He soon discovered his passion for the stage after joining the theatre club and decided to make the switch to performing arts.
His involvement with Bent started at the end of August when director Carolyn Fe asked him to read the script for the first time.

“I just thought, ‘That’s the one,’” said de Waele of his immediate interest in the character of Horst. He identified with the character due to his proud sense of self and his courage to be an openly gay man in a conservative society.

Altera Vitae supports a non-profit organization with the proceeds of every production. This time, they have chosen Gris-Montréal, a non-profit community organization that aims to shed light on the realities faced by LGBT people and facilitate their integration into society.
According to Fe, Bent is a striking exploration of gay rights that is right at home in a diverse city like Montreal.

“I like to put forward the issue of minorities, of being different,” concluded Fe.

Bent will be performed at Espace 4001 (4001 Berri St., suite 103) from Nov. 5 to 15 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 for students. See alteravitae.com/bent for more information on showtimes.